One of the most embarrassing things to come out of the Russian military venture in Syria is the huge convoy supply lines of oil moving between Turkey and ISIS positions.

Watch America's finest mumble their way through explanations of why they have let this go on for two years.

Priceless.

Between Iran, North Korea, and Russia, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders disagreed about which was the "greatest threat" to America in the final Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary.

From the University of New Hampshire, MSNBC moderators Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow steered what was the most contentious Democratic debate thus far, and no topic exemplified that more than foreign policy.

Though Syria and Iraq are the main theaters of global standoff and terrorist activity in recent years, there is another country that also draws the attention of the world powers: Libya. Since the fall of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, the war-torn country has been in a constant crisis fueled by the West's inability to implement any kind of a peace settlement involving a wide range of competing entities operating in the country. The so-called "national unity government" backed by the UN has almost no influence in the country. The crucial oil infrastructure and the coastal zone are controlled by fragmented factions. Indeed, it's obvious that US and European diplomats won't be able to control the Libyan conflict over the long term. A conflict they created themselves. A diplomatic solution could be found through UN procedures and under the supervision of the international community through neutral states such India, Malaysia, Indonesia or even Latin America states. Unfortunately, this type of "neutral approach" is never implemented by the UN.

If the US and the EU continue to participate in the conflict, the situation will likely deteriorate. The Libyan scenario is even worse than the situation in Syria and Iraq because the structure of governance is totally destroyed. After the start of the Russian military operation in Syria which also pushed other world powers to increase military activity in the region, ISIS is rapidly losing ground in Syria and Iraq. The group is now looking for a new home. Some 5,000 militants loyal to ISIS already operate in Libya and this number is expected to grow.

Thus Libya will likely become a foothold for the terrorist groups after a retreat from the Syria-Iraq battlespace. Here they will be able to set up a network of training camps and start a new full-scale recruiting campaign. Libya's advantageous geographical location will allow terrorist entities entrenched there to conduct operations in any chosen direction: Middle East, Europe or Northern and Central Africa. Economic resources also attract the attention of ISIS. Libya is rich in oil fields and its geographical location allows terrorist groups to control illegal traffic from the rest of Africa to Europe and Middle East.

Ukraine must take the steps to peace agreed a year ago in Minsk, or risk losing the support of the European Union, said Denmark's foreign minister. Earlier this week other western powers criticized Kiev, following the resignation of a key minister.

"If Ukraine doesn't come through with the reforms linked to the Minsk peace process, it will be very difficult for Europe to continue united in support for sanctions against Russia," Kristian Jensen told Reuters at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Amsterdam on Friday. "Ukraine has a deadline. They need to push those reforms now, they can't wait."

Signed by Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany last February, the Minsk accord lays out 13 steps to secure the end of the armed conflict in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, which broke out in 2014, after people in the regions refused to accept the forceful change of power in Kiev. The conflict has resulted in over 9,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people, according to the UN.

The initial stage prescribed a ceasefire, the pullout of heavy armaments, and the introduction of comprehensive international monitoring. Later, a constitutional reform would grant more autonomy to Donbas, which would conduct local elections.

Nearly five years after the U.S., Britain and France launched a bombing campaign against the Libyan government to bring about regime change, these same countries are contemplating a resumption of the war they thought was won when rebel forces they supported grotesquely tortured to death the country's leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

The result today in Libya is utter disarray. But at the time, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — a leading advocate of the bombing who justifies the deed to this day — was ecstatic when told the news of Qaddafi's death while she was appearing on a TV talk show. Laughingly she shouted to the cameras, "We came, we saw, he died!"

No one is laughing in Washington now. President Obama came, saw and created the very opposite of what he sought, a hardly unusual outcome for the Obama and Bush Administrations.in the Middle East. Instead of a pliable dependent government willing to do the bidding of Washington and its NATO foreign legion, there has been an explosion of civil war and Sunni jihadism.

The EU countries facing the heaviest influx of refugees need "detention or removal centers" for those denied entrance or unwilling to return back home voluntarily, the European Migration Commissioner said.

Referring in particular to Greece and Italy, Dimitris Avramopoulos has stressed that such facilities are needed alongside expanding "reception centers", also known as hotspots, to handle the intake and processing of refugees.

"Of course, during that time, people have to stay somewhere. So it is normal that we need more reception places," he told Euractiv.com. "But detention or removal centers are also needed for those who receive the decision to return, particularly if there is a risk of absconding and if they are not willing to return voluntarily."

According to the EU migration official, following the Western Balkans leaders' meeting in late October, Greece committed to expanding its reception places by 50,000.

Athens hopes that most of the facilities will be operational by mid-February, Reuters reported. However, the contraction of "hotspots" crucial for hosting the refugees, on one side, cause a furious reaction by locals on the other.

The president of Ukraine suggested an amendment that would allow him to start military mobilization without announcing it beforehand. The measure was proposed after only 60 percent of draftees were enlisted in the previous run.

Over the two years that have passed since the armed coup in Kiev dramatically changed Ukraine, the new government declared six waves of mobilization. It's a special kind of military draft separate from regular conscription that is used to respond to an emergency.

The draft was needed to boost military units sent to fight the rebellious eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Ukraine nearly doubled the strength of its army from the initial 130,000 to 232,000 in 2014 and wants to have 250,000 standing troops. 210,000 people were drafted overall, some of them already demobilized.

The war effort, however, became increasingly difficult to maintain. The initial surge of volunteers dwindled while the number of people who would rather risk prosecution for dodging the draft than put their necks on the line increased.

Of thousands killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan since 2004, less than one third of the victims have been identified, including a record low number of ten last year, according to an international investigation.

A UK-based not-for-profit organization revealed the figures in the framework of their "Naming the Dead" project. Initially created for tracking US drone strikes in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia, the project seeks to identify casualties, calling for accountability for the attacks.

According to project data, of 2,494 people confirmed killed by American drone strikes in Pakistan, only 729 have been identified. In 2015 the names of those killed was extremely small - only ten of 60 allegedly killed by drones.

Five of ten victims were pronounced members of Al Qaeda, another three were named Pakistani Taliban fighters and the last two were aid workers from Western states.

Russia's newest S-500 Prometey system, which is expected to begin tests shortly, will be a major upgrade to the state-of-the-art S-400 complex and will, according to member of the advisory council of the Military-Industrial Commission Viktor Murakhovsky, be second to none.

"The S-500 has world-beating characteristics: it can engage air attack weapons, as well as ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles," he told Sputnik. "In addition, the system provides space defense since it can engage targets in near space, at an altitude of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles)."

The cutting-edge S-500, designed by Almaz Antey, is said to have a maximum range of 600 kilometers (more than 370 miles). The highly-mobile system could simultaneously intercept up to ten ballistic missiles traveling at a speed of 5 kilometers per second.

The system is so good, that "many US defense officials worry that even stealth warplanes like the F-22, F-35 and the B-2 might have problems overcoming" it, defense expert Dave Majumdar wrote for the National Interest earlier this month.

As a result, the S-500, also known as 55R6M Triumfator-M, will most likely form the basis of the country's multilayered air defense system as soon as it becomes operational in the coming years. First prototypes are expected to begin tests later this year.

The Russian Armed Forces reportedly plan to purchase ten S-500 battalions.

The Russian government is thinking of adding palm oil, soda and potato chips to the list of excisable goods, business daily Vedomosti quotes two government officials as saying. The measure would be part of a plan to get Russians eating a healthier diet as well as boost tax revenues.

The proposal has been supported by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.

The list could also include any goods with an excessive fat or sugar content. "Such measures are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the ways to fight against overconsumption of sugar and diseases linked to it," the official said.

Palm oil is the first to be included in the updated list, possibly starting from July 1 this year. The tax might be set at $200 per ton. Studies link palm oil to higher risks of cardiovascular disease; it can increase blood cholesterol levels and could cause heart disease.

Palm oil is mainly used by dairy and confectionary firms. Supplies to Russia of the oil grew 31.7 percent in the January-November period last year with 614,000 tons imported.

Sixty percent of women and 50 percent of men in Russia are overweight, according to the Nutrition Research Institute. The number of obesity cases has been growing in the past decade.

Russian soft drink manufacturers have called the proposal unacceptable. A new tax will have a negative financial impact on soda producers and lead to job cuts, according to the head of their trade body Dmitry Petrov.